Orthodontic pacifier



May 1, 1956 w. H. GRIESINGER 2,743,727

ORTHODONTIC PACIFIER Filed Oct. 25, 1954 INVENTOR. WALTER H. GRIESINIGER United States Patent ORTHODONTIC PACIFIER Walter H. Griesinger, Portland, Greg. Application October 25, 1954, Serial No. 464,495

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-460) My present invention relates to pacifiers for infants, the invention being of particular utility in aiding correction of misalignments of the teeth and malformations of the jaws of the infant. My invention is primarily intended for use as an adjunct of the nursing nipple disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,537,583, issued January 9, 1951, in that the nursing nipple therein described is preferably utilized as a portion of the present invention; but it is to be appreciated that the invention may incorporate other forms of nipples. The illustrated form of nipple is preferable in the case of those infants who demonstrate manifestations at an early age of having malformed jaw structures, but it may be more desirable to have a different type of nipple in use in connection with the present invention for infants whose jaws appear to be normally formed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means whereby an infant in its early days may aid itself in correcting malformation of the jaws, in order that the teeth will come in more regularly at a later date, and in expanding the nasal cavity to permit free and easy breathing. A further object of the present invention is to provide means of the foregoing character which will supplement the corrective action of the nursing nipple described in the above-mentioned patent by causing the infant to exercise autotherapy during the much greater portion of the day when it is not feeding, and to stimulate the muscles of mastication to greater activity for the development of the dental arch and to supplement or satisfy any sucking reflexes that have not been completely satisfied through the regular nursing or feeding channels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pacifier including a nursing nipple, from which the nursing nipple may be removed for sterilizing, cleansing or replacement at it becomes worn or broken, thus advancing the health and wellbeing of the child, as well as increasing the life of the pacifier.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pacifier which goes beyond the psychological and physical effect of the ordinary pacifier which is merely something for the infant to place in its mouth in order to distract its attention or to work the teeth through the gums, the pacifier aiding in teething and alignment during the dentition period. The present invention advances the well-being of the infant by providing a teatlike pacifier which is something with which it is familiar, and which is of ultimately perfect design for the purposes intended.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pacifier of the foregoing character which does not permit the infant to draw air through the nursing nipple feeding aperture, thereby preventing internal distress and colic.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from inspection of the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, and in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and described.

2,743,727 Patented May 1, 1956 "ice Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 discloses a preferred form of the pacifier;

F Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the pacifier illustrated in Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the pacifier illustrated in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the preferred form of nipple, taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3 and along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The device comprises an elongated handle 10 having an integral ball 11 at one end and an integral plug 12 at the other end. The handle may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of a rigid plastic material which is lightweight, has a naturally smooth finish, and may be molded in two sections and adhered together to form the finished product. When the two sections are adhered together, sounding elements such as the two beads 13 are preferably placed in the hollow ball 11 to cause the device to function as a rattle. The handle is easily grasped by an infant and the ball 11 and plug 12 prevent the infants hand from slipping off the ends. The plug 12 is preferably in the form of an imperforate disc 14 having a dependent, concentric flange 15 thereon, the outer surface of which is provided with screw threads 16, whereby the plug simulates the neck portion of a nursing bottle.

The device also comprises a molded plastic cap 17 simulating the cap of a nursing bottle, in that it has a cylindrical flange portion 18 provided with internal threads 19 for cooperatively engaging the threads 16, and an inwardly extending, annular flange 20 defining a central aperture 21.

The device also comprises a baby feeding nipple 22 including an elongated teat portion 23, a breast portion 24 from which the teat portion projects, and an outwardly extending, annular flange 25 surrounding the base of the breast portion. The outer diameter of the flange 25 is less than the internal diameter of the flange 18 and greater than the diameter of the central opening 21. The device is assembled by project ing the teat and breast portions through the central opening 21 until the flange 25 underlies the flange 20, and screwing the cap 17 onto the plug 12 until the flange 25 is firmly gripped between the flange 20 and the disc 14. The teat portion is thereby maintained in axial prolongation of the handle 10, in which position the infant may readily thrust the teat portion into its: mouth. The cap 17 is of such large diameter that the infant cannot thrust the device entirely into its mouth.

The preferred form of nipple illustrated is provided with an oblate tip 26 in which the feeding aperture 27 is provided, and just back of which there is preferably provided a transverse rib 28 provided for the purpose of strengthening and straightening the jaws of the infant as described in the above-mentioned patent. Preferably, the nipple is provided with an air vent 29 just back of the rib 28 for purposes connected with the prevention of colic in feeding. Preferably, the interior surface of the breast portion is provided with a plurality of elongated, longitudinally extending, strengthening ribs 38 to prevent the breast portion from collapsing. An orienting tab 31 is also provided on the exterior surface of the breast portion, as an aid to the mother in placing the nipple on a nursing bottle, and in correctly orienting the nursing bottle when thrusting the nipple into the infants mouth. It is, of course, to be realized that the infant handling the pacifier will not know the functions of the orienting part and the rib, but it is probable that many infants will correctly place the nipple in their months because of the accustomed feel of the nipple in correct position when held there during feeding. Even if it is r 3 not correctly placed in the mouth, the greater thickness and rigidity of the tip portion 26 and the associated rib 28 will perform the spreading and strengthening function of the nipple.

A feature of the present invention is that the plug 12,

-in any form'that it may be provided, is imperforate, so

that the infant will not be able to suck air through the nipple when using it as a pacifier, the vent 29 being within the infants mouth. It will be readily appreciated that the partstare maintained in firm association with each other, the flange 25 acting as a resilient lock washer to maintain the cap in tightened position on the handle portion. It will also be appreciated that the device may beutilized'by the infant for long periods of time, where- 'as the infant cannot, for any length of time, utilize an empty nursing bottle having a nipple thereon as a pacifier, since the infant of this age isunable to hold such a heavy, bulky object.

4 all suchmodifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A pacifier comprising an elongated handle, an imperforate disc concentrically secured to an end of said handle and lying in a plane normal to the direction of elongation of the handle, an externally threaded, peripheral flange on saiddisc, a centrally apertured, internally threaded cap separably threaded onto said flange, and a feeding nipple comprising a teat portion, a breast portion from which said teat portion protrudes, and an outwardly extending, annularfiange on said breast portion, said feeding nipple protruding axially through the aperture in said cap, and'the flange therein being clamped between said cap and said disc.

2,513,896 Searer July 4, i950 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,l98 Great Britain Apr. 9, 1904 

